The Black Magicians' Children
by Pussy Winters
Summary: Fifteen years after The High Lord, Sonea’s children enter the Guild. Only one thing is certain: the Guild will never be the same again.
1. Lorlen and Yilara

**1: Lorlen and Yilara**

"Did you ask her?" asked Lorlen eagerly.

Yilara ignored him, letting him wait. She sat down on the ground and pulled the chess set from its hiding-place. As they set up the pieces, she spoke.

"Mother says we can choose to enter the Guild and she doesn't care if we don't," she reported at last.

"What do you think?" asked Lorlen.

"Our parents were the strongest magicians in the Guild, Lorlen!" replied his sister. "How can we refuse?"

Lorlen sighed. "It feels like a betrayal," he admitted. "The Guild _exiled_ him." He moved a white pawn forwards. "How could we join them?"

Yilara moved one of her black pawns, looking down at the ring on her left hand – gold and ruby, given to her years before by her mother. Lorlen had one the same, but in silver, on his right hand. "The Guild might have suggested exile," she said finally, "but Father only accepted it because the King wanted it. If you don't join the Guild, you'll end up in politics, because you're the eldest son. You'll be living with House Velan and seeing the King every day."

Lorlen moved another piece and considered that. "They still sent him to his death," he said stubbornly. "They should never have suggested exile in the first place."

"True," admitted Yilara. "But the Guild is different now. They admit the lower classes. They help people from the Outer Circle."

Lorlen fell silent. As they played, he wondered what he should do. What would his father do?

Well, he knew the answer to that one. His father had joined the Guild. Not only that, but he had_ saved_ the Guild.

And what Yilara had said was true. His father's exile had been the fault of the King as much as the Guild. And now the Guild had changed, but the King had not. It was a choice between the Guild and the court, and he didn't think he could face serving the King directly.

Yilara watched her brother's face. To anyone else it was perfectly calm, as was her own, but the siblings could see past that. She watched the emotions in his eyes, making her moves methodically, waiting for his decision. She kept her knight threatening Lorlen's king, waiting for his decision so that she could finish the game then.

Finally Lorlen looked up from the board and said simply "Yes."

Yilara promptly checkmated Lorlen's king and shoved the game back into its hiding-place, and the two of them raced off to tell their mother.

* * *

Lorlen had found the spring years before, the day their mother had given them the rings. He had wanted to be alone and to think, and had just wandered aimlessly in the forest. Then he had found the spring, and sat there and thought.

Later he had shown Yilara. They had sat back against a boulder and talked about everything and nothing. Then Yilara had pressed her hand against the boulder and pulled out a game from a hidden compartment. Lorlen remembered exactly what she had said: "Never mind all that. Let's play chess."

Ever since then, the two of them had spent their spare time at the spring, talking and playing chess. Their father had come there as a novice, and then their mother, and now they were.

* * *

Administrator Osen opened the door of his office and found Lady Sonea, the Black Magician, sitting calmly beside his desk. With her indifferent expression and black robes, combined with the way she had appeared in Osen's office without being let in, she reminded Osen far too much of Akkarin.

"My twins will be entering the Guild with the summer intake of novices," she said briskly.

"Are you sure that's wise?" asked Osen. "Wouldn't it be better to keep them away from Inava a bit more?"

"I don't want to hold them back," replied Sonea. "And I don't see that Inava would make much difference, really."

Osen nodded reluctantly. "Could you leave by the _door_ this time?" he asked as she stood up to go.

"Then people would see me leaving when they hadn't seen me arriving," Sonea pointed out. "All sorts of assumptions might be made." She didn't wait for an answer, but crossed to the wall and opened the entrance to the secret passages.

Osen picked up the letter about Inava from his desk and reread it.

_To the Administrator of the Magician's Guild._

_I have a daughter, Inava, who I wish to send to the Guild of Kyralia to be trained. She knows nothing of the use of higher magic, and I intend to keep it that way, having seen what it can do to people. Therefore I would like her to be trained in all other forms of magic in the ways known to the Guild._

_You will find her fully prepared for the next intake with regards to prior knowledge. Her powers have not been released. In short, she is just like any other new novice and I would like her to be treated as such._

_Should you see any reason why Inava should not enter the Guild, please inform me. If not, she will be present at the Acceptance Ceremony for this year's summer intake._

_Sincerely,_

_Lady Savara of the Sachakan court._

Osen stared again at the signature, one thought running through his mind: _Akkarin's children in the same class as a Sachakan. This year is going to be _hell.


	2. The Novices

**2: The Novices**

Ten children waited outside the Guildhall, some with their families. Half of them were Kyralian: a boy and girl from the Houses, a boy from the lower classes, and Yilara and Lorlen. Of the rest, two were Elyne (a boy and a girl), and there was also a Lonmar boy and a Vindo boy.

Lorlen and Yilara stared at the last girl, with their father's penetrating stare, for the girl was Sachakan.

_No, not Sachakan,_ Yilara corrected herself, _only part Sachakan. She has the Kyralian nose and eyes._ Lorlen had noticed the girl too, and was thinking much the same.

The other new novices were all staring at the three of them. A Sachakan girl, of course, attracted attention, but most of them were looking at Lorlen and Yilara. They were wearing black, and had their parent's features. It was quite obvious whose children they were.

"Are the stories about them true?" whispered the Elyne girl. "Do you think they're going to blast that Sachakan into dust?"

"Shhh," whispered the Elyne boy back. "They'll hear you, and then _we'll_ be blasted instead!"

"Shut up," said the Kyralian girl. "They won't do anything, but their mother might, if she hears you saying that."

Yilara gave Lorlen a smile that only he could see. Clearly they were an object of gossip already.

The new novices formed a line and filed into the Guildhall behind the Administrator's assistant. Lorlen and Yilara remained outwardly calm at all the stares they received, but Lorlen was twisting his ring anxiously around his finger.

Yilara noted the names of her fellow novices as they were called. The Kyralian girl was Wendola of House Tellen, and the upper-class boy Solen of House Paren. The other Kyralian boy was called Garin. The Lonmar boy was Alyk of Greater Clan Koyhmar, the Vindo boy Teno of the Shipbuilder's Guild, the Elyne boy Rayand of Ladeiri and the Elyne girl Eleni of Arralade. The Sachakan girl, who had taken the place at the end of the line, was Inava daughter of Savara.

The ceremony was completed quickly, as no one claimed guardianship of any of the novices. Lorlen noticed Solen looking surprised at this. Presumably he had assumed that Lady Sonea would claim one of her children. Lorlen knew she hadn't because it wouldn't have been fair to the other – the two of them were equal in strength. Clearly this hadn't occurred to Solen, though, for he continued to look puzzled as the new novices left the Guildhall.

* * *

"I never thought we'd be a source of gossip," said Yilara that night in Lorlen's room in the Novices' Quarters.

"I did," admitted Lorlen. "But I expected it to be because of the things we'd done, rather than the things our parents did."

"We'll probably give them plenty more to gossip about when we've had a few classes," pointed out Yilara. "Right now all they know about us is our heritage."

"Let's not draw attention to ourselves," suggested Lorlen. "Gossip about our heritage will die down, but our skills…"

The evening gong had sounded a few moments before, and now Lord Ahrind knocked on the door of Lorlen's room. "Who are you talking to?" he demanded. "No visitors –"

"– after the evening gong," Lorlen completed. "Yilara was here earlier, but she's gone to her room now. I wasn't talking to anyone just now."

Ahrind didn't look convinced, but after pushing open the door to Yilara's room and finding her sitting at her desk reading, and finding no one else in Lorlen's room, he had to leave the twins in peace.

* * *

The next day all the novices (except Solen, who was late) were waiting in the classroom for their teacher. Lorlen and Yilara were sitting together, near Inava, who the rest of the novices seemed to ignore or dislike. That had already provoked some gossip – Akkarin's children, sitting with a Sachakan! – but the presence of the teacher prevented the novices from openly discussing it.

Solen skidded into the classroom seconds before the gong rang. Presumably he had overslept. Then Director Jerrik entered the classroom and looked sternly at the novices. He began giving an obviously well-practised speech. Lorlen half-listened, until Jerrik looked up at the class and asked: "What is the most important attribute of a magician?"

Jerrik began to ask the novices in turn. Wendola suggested "Skill?" and Rayand offered "Talent," but both were incorrect. Then Jerrik called on Yilara.

For a moment Yilara didn't know what to say, but then something her mother had told her ran through her mind: _"Magic is about intent. There is no such thing as good or evil magic, only good or evil magicians."_

"Intent, my lord," she offered.

"No," said Jerrik, "but it is important. Solen?"

"Strength," said Solen confidently.

"No!" snapped Jerrik. His eyes roved the room, and settled on Lorlen. "Lorlen?" he asked.

"Knowledge, my lord," said Lorlen promptly.

"Correct!" exclaimed Jerrik. Yilara realised he was surprised. Probably no one ever answered the question correctly. She slipped her hand into her pocket and began fidgeting with her ring. Novices did not wear jewellery, so she kept it in the pocket of her robes as a sort of talisman.

"The most important attribute of a magician is knowledge…" Lorlen began to tune the speech out again, when something strange happened.

A mental voice recited, _– The Guild is the largest and most comprehensive store of knowledge in the world. During the years that you spend here that knowledge, or at least some part of it, will be given to you._

The voice continued to recite Jerrik's speech, slightly ahead of what Jerrik was saying. Several of the novices tittered. Jerrik faltered and looked around, trying to work out whose mental voice it was.

The voice was faint, with a whispery quality, and there was no hint of personality to it. There was not even a slight hint as to the sort of person whose voice it was. It could have belonged to anyone.

–_Use this knowledge well, novices of the Magician's Guild of Kyralia,_ the mental voice concluded. Jerrik had stopped halfway through the speech, but the voice had continued without a pause. Jerrik looked around, confused, then hurried out.

* * *

"So much for not drawing attention to ourselves," said Yilara gloomily, sitting down on Lorlen's bed. "Did you see Jerrik's face? No one _ever_ gets that question right."

"Well…perhaps Mother told me," offered Lorlen. "After all, that speech hasn't changed since he first gave it. You proved that, with the reciting."

"That _wasn't me_!" hissed Yilara. "Walls have ears, remember?"

"Sorry," said Lorlen hastily. "And speaking of ears, if Ahrind hears your voice in here again after the gong…"

Yilara quickly slipped through the door of Lorlen's room and back into her own.

–_Be careful,_ warned a mental voice that only the two of them could hear.


	3. Sonea's Dream

**3: Sonea's Dream**

_Everything was black. Sonea could see nothing, hear nothing and feel nothing, and when she extended her mental senses she could detect nothing._

_Nothing except, away to one side, something that might have been a faint magical presence._

_As if this person had sensed her too, she suddenly heard a voice, calling to her from out of the darkness._

"_Help me!" the man cried. "Help me, someone!"_

_She knew that voice…but that was impossible. It was just her wishful thinking._

"_Where are you?" she called. "What has happened to you?"_

"_Sonea?" asked the voice in disbelief. "Sonea, is that you?"_

"_Akkarin!" she whispered, and created a globe light, sending it out through the darkness. She still couldn't see anything of her surroundings, but she could see Akkarin now, and rushed to embrace him._

_Her hands slipped through him – he was nothing, a ghost or an illusion. "Akkarin!" she sobbed._

"_Sonea!" he whispered. He was flickering, fading into the nothingness all around. "Please, Sonea, help me!"_

_And then he was gone, and there was nothing._

Sonea woke up with a gasp. She stared about wildly, unseeing. "Akkarin!" she whispered. Then she realised that it had been only a dream, and turned over and wept into her pillow.

She'd had similar dreams before, ever since his death, although they came less frequently now. She was glad of that – they stirred up too many memories she preferred to keep hidden. The details of the dreams varied, but some things were the same: she could never touch Akkarin, and he always asked her to help him.

"_Please, Sonea, help me!"_

The dream echoed in her thoughts, but she pushed it away. Thoughts of Akkarin caused her too much pain.


	4. Control Lessons

**4: Control Lessons**

Lorlen mastered Control in two days, much to the surprise of his teacher. After all, the fastest it had ever been done before was in four days, by his father Akkarin.

"I… have an organised mind," he explained to his teacher, and then again to Lady Issle as he returned to the first classroom. The rest of the novices stared at him in disbelief, except of course for Yilara, who knew exactly what her brother was capable of.

As the other novices left for their Control lessons on the third day, Lady Issle handed Lorlen the first book the class would study. It was called _Six Lessons for New Novices_ and was over a century old. Lorlen read it through once, quickly, then put it down.

Looking around, he noticed that Wendola was sitting in her seat, staring out of the window. He moved over to sit near her.

"Did you already learn Control?" he asked softly.

She nodded shyly.

"Wow," said Lorlen simply. "And I thought _I _was quick!"

"No, it took me weeks," said Wendola quietly.

"So you're a Natural?" asked Lorlen, surprised. That would mean she was stronger than him, and yet he couldn't detect anything stronger than normal in her magical presence.

Wendola nodded and looked away.

"So was my mother," continued Lorlen.

Wendola didn't say anything. Lorlen sighed inwardly. The girl was clearly too shy to talk to him. Maybe she was naturally shy, or perhaps she had heard the rumours about him and his sister. Anyway, he clearly wouldn't get any more conversation out of her. Returning to his desk, he slipped a hand into his pocket and began to finger the ring.

* * *

Yilara mastered Control in four days, just like her father had. Ignoring _Six Lessons for New Novices_, she and Lorlen sat and talked.

"Wouldn't you be better off studying?" suggested Lady Issle coolly.

Lorlen opened his mouth to protest that they could study the books when the rest of the class did, but Yilara cut in first.

"Alright then," she said sweetly, nudging Lorlen, and opened his copy of _Six Lessons for New Novices_.

"Can I have the next book we will study?" asked Lorlen politely, beginning to realise what his sister's strategy was.

Taken aback, Lady Issle stared at him for a moment, before reasoning that Lorlen had had two days to read the first one uninterrupted. She fetched the next book from her desk.

"Thank you," said Lorlen calmly. Picking up the new book, he skimmed through each page, then handed it back. "May I have the next one?"

"What?" asked Lady Issle. "How…"

"I read quickly," said Lorlen with a small smile, as if this was perfectly normal. Across the room, Wendola laughed, then stifled it as the teacher glared at her.

Lady Issle picked up the book and began questioning Lorlen on it. Lorlen answered each question promptly and accurately, even reciting paragraphs word for word where necessary.

"May I have the next book now?" asked Lorlen when Lady Issle admitted defeat.

"Well… I don't think that's wise," said Lady Issle. "You'll just get too far ahead of the rest. Can you amuse yourself somehow?"

"Alright," said Lorlen and turned to Yilara. "So, what were you saying about Alchemy?"

"Yilara, _you're_ supposed to be reading," said Lady Issle, feeling events slipping out of her control.

"Oh?" asked Yilara innocently. "But I might get too far ahead of the rest."

"Yes, well, I…"

"Well, as I was saying, Alchemy…" Yilara continued her conversation with Lorlen. Lady Issle returned to the front of the room. At this, the siblings shared smirks.

"What I said before, about not drawing attention to ourselves…" began Lorlen. "Let's forget that."

"Sure," grinned Yilara. "This is much more fun."


	5. The Night Room

**5: The Night Room**

"And then the little minx just looks up at me, innocent as anything, and says, But I might get too far ahead of the rest! The nerve of the girl!"

"I _did_ always say they were going to be trouble."

"They should never have_ both_ been allowed in. _One_ would have been _quite_ enough for us to handle."

Sonea hid a smile. It was quite obvious who Issle and Alend were discussing. There was only one girl who would say something like that in the latest intake of novices. Even if she hadn't known Yilara so well, the pair of them had mentioned _two_ novices causing trouble.

She half wondered why Alend and Issle weren't being more cautious, but they probably didn't realise that she was "listening". Dannyl had taught her that particular skill, the last time he was in Kyralia, and Sonea regularly made use of it.

Sonea considered drawing the two of them into an innocent discussion of her twins' progress, but changed her mind as a new voice joined the conversation: Lord Regin, Head of Warrior Studies.

"I heard Lord Osen did try to convince her otherwise, but Sonea insisted. It wouldn't have been fair to choose one, she said, not when their powers are equal."

"Equal?" Lady Issle snorted. "Didn't you hear how fast her son learned Control?"

Sonea decided that now would be a good time to join the conversation. "Might I ask what you are snorting about so loudly, Issle?"

"Didn't you hear about what your daughter said to me?" demanded Issle, outraged.

"Yes, I did," said Sonea, unconcernedly. "But I don't see it gives you any reason to talk so loudly in the Night Room. You're disturbing other magicians."

Issle seized the opportunity. "She was disturbing the other novices, with her chattering!"

"Really? I seem to remember you giving her permission to keep talking."

Issle's jaw dropped as Sonea rose and moved away.

Regin laughed at her reaction. "Where did you think Yilara gets it from?"

* * *

"So, do you _still_ maintain that your children are equal in strength?"

Sonea stifled a sigh. Moving into the crowd of magicians had not been a good idea. Now they were all asking her the same question individually, worded slightly differently each time.

"Yes, Lord Davin, I do. I tested their potential myself."

"But then why did your son master Control so quickly? Or, more to the point, why so much more quickly than his sister?"

"Strength isn't the only thing that affects how quickly Control is learnt," Sonea pointed out. "Perhaps Yilara was unwilling to trust her teacher, or perhaps Lorlen simply learns faster. What do they say about it?"

"I am told Lorlen said he had an organised mind," replied Davin. "But I really don't see how it could affect his learning so extremely!"

Sonea smiled at that. "My twins always do things to extremes."

* * *

–_She said you always do things to extremes._

–_She was right, then!_ Yilara thought back.

–_More than she knew,_ added Lorlen. _If this conversation isn't an extreme I don't know what is._

–_You have a point,_ conceded the third voice.

–_So, while we're on the subject of extremes,_ added Yilara, sending her mischievous feelings to both the people she was speaking to, _any more ideas on how to drive Ahrind crazy?_


	6. Lord Ahrind

**6: Lord Ahrind**

Lorlen sat at the desk in his room, pretending to write. Yilara stood next to him, leaning against the wall with her hand in her pocket, on her ring.

_-He's coming,_ reported Lorlen mentally, touching his ring as he did so to ensure they were not overheard.

Lord Ahrind was indeed coming down the passage. The evening gong had sounded, and he was making sure all the novices were in their rooms.

_-He's checking Inava's room,_ Lorlen reported. His mental senses were out, checking the movement of Ahrind's presence. Lorlen flashed a grin at Yilara and then began to talk.

"Yes, I know," he agreed, as if continuing an ongoing conversation. "But they're just rumours."

"The same rumours have been running on and off for the last thirty years," Yilara pointed out. "Ever since he was a novice, there have been rumours about him."

"And they sound less convincing every time," sighed Lorlen.

"They will," agreed Yilara, "unless proof is found. And _I_ think-"

Ahrind, having heard much of the conversation from the other side of the door, opened it and stormed in. "Yilara, get to your room!" he almost shouted, then stared in amazement.

The only person in the room was Lorlen. He was sitting at his desk, busily writing. He looked up at Ahrind, then got up and bowed, gazing at him dubiously.

"Er… Yilara isn't here, my lord," he said cautiously. "I don't know why you think she is…"

"But I heard her voice!"

"You can search my room if you think it'll help," offered Lorlen, masking his smile. "But I'm sure she's in hers."

Frowning, Lord Ahrind went over to Yilara's door and pushed it open. Yilara was sitting on her bed, reading.

"Why did you think I was in Lorlen's room, my lord?" she asked quietly. "The whole corridor heard your question."

"Oh," said Ahrind uncomfortably, and retreated.

* * *

The next day Ahrind came across Lorlen, walking purposely through the inner passages of the University. While there was no rule against novices using the inner passages, Ahrind saw no reason why any of them should. He followed Lorlen at a distance, wondering what business Lorlen had here on a Freeday.

Lorlen rounded a corner which, Ahrind knew, led only to the office of one of the teachers in the University. Surely Lorlen would have no reason to visit a teacher on a Freeday.

Ahrind rounded the corner and saw - no one. He stared at the walls, confused. Was Lorlen visiting the teacher after all? Shivering a little in a draft which seemed to come from nowhere, he crossed to the office door and knocked.

"Can I speak to Lorlen?" he asked Lady Issle, when she came to the door.

"What's he done _now_?" sighed Issle.

"Nothing," said Ahrind, "I was just curious as to what he's doing in your office."

Lady Issle looked at him, confused. "He isn't _in_ my office, Ahrind. In fact, I haven't seen him since lessons yesterday."

"Oh, ah, sorry," said Ahrind, and left hastily.

* * *

"How did it go?" asked Yilara when she met Lorlen in the University passages.

"Great!" grinned Lorlen. "I used the passage that comes out near Issle's office - you know, the one behind the picture of the magician with the scroll. Ahrind thought I was in her office; he knocked and asked her and everything!"

Yilara laughed. "So come on, Lorlen, lead me back to the Novice's Quarters. There are times when I hate your perfect memory, you know."

Lorlen smiled at that, and turned to lead the way back to the building. Lorlen had memorised the plan of the passages perfectly, of course, but all Yilara knew were the ones in the University. As the twins went almost everywhere together, it was rarely a problem.

The two of them emerged from the only passage entrance in the Novice's Quarters - behind a painting of a tower, near Ahrind's office - and made their way outside. There, they parted ways, Lorlen to the spring, to think, and Yilara to the Novice's Library, to catch up on some reading.

As they went, they slipped their hands into their pockets, fingering their rings.

_-When next?_ Lorlen asked mentally.

_­-Tomorrow after classes?_ Yilara offered.

_-Sure._

_-Keep up with the evening discussions too,_ advised the third voice. _They're getting to him. I can tell._

_-You always were good at reading people,_ Lorlen sent, grinning inwardly.

_-Reading their surface thoughts, you mean!_ Yilara put in.

Smiling at that last comment, the twins let go of their rings.


	7. Inava

7: Inava

**7: Inava**

Yilara looked over her class. In the weeks since their arrival at the Guild, set friendships had formed. She and Lorlen, of course, were a pair. Rayand, Solen and Eleni were also close friends. Alyk and Teno were friends too, and Wendola had struck up a tentative friendship with Garin. Only Inava was left out.

It was to be expected, she supposed. With the Ichani Invasion still fresh in everyone's memories, no one was willing to trust a Sachakan, even if she knew nothing about black magic. Besides, there had never been a Sachakan in the Guild before, and many magicians, she had noticed, disliked changes.

Well, Yilara only had one goal in life at the moment: stir up the Guild as much as she could, and make them realise how many changes they could be making for the better. _Always do what you are least expected to._ That was the rule she lived by - the only rule she never thought of breaking.

And at the moment the thing she was least expected to do was to be friendly to Inava.

After a glance at the door to check if the teacher was approaching, Yilara turned round in her chair to face Inava, who was sitting near her.

"So, you're Inava?" she began.

"Yes," said Inava simply, "and you're Yilara of House Velan."

Yilara waved a hand dismissively. "I've never had anything to do with House Velan in my life."

Inava frowned. "That's how you were introduced at the ceremony."

"It was my father's House, so technically I'm one of them." Yilara shrugged. "I just don't acknowledge it. I think they just wanted me to be one of them on the official records. That way, when I excel, they look better."

"_When_ you excel?" questioned Inava. "Not very modest, are you?"

Yilara smiled her father's half-smile. "Oh, I wasn't boasting, just stating a fact."

Inava snorted at that, but could not think of anything to say to it. Remembering something else, she changed the subject.

"I heard you talking to Lorlen in his room. Everyone else thinks Ahrind's going crazy, but I heard you. You were really in there, and then you somehow got out without him knowing."

Yilara was surprised at that, but didn't let it show. "Did anyone else hear?" she asked.

Inava considered it. "I don't think they could have," she said finally. "I only heard because my room is next to Lorlen's and I was listening." She looked up at Yilara, puzzled. "How did you get out without him seeing?" she asked suddenly.

Yilara slipped her hand into her pocket and felt her ring, wondering how much she could tell Inava. She seemed trustworthy, but…

_-Don't tell her,_ the voice warned. _The Guild must work it out on their own. Don't tell _anyone

"I have my ways," Yilara said finally, and left it at that.

"Oh." For an instant Inava looked almost disappointed, but then she hid it. "It's the secret passages, isn't it? Everyone says your mother uses them."

Yilara wondered whether to tell her the truth - that it wasn't; there was only one passage in the Novice's Quarters - or to lie, which she didn't often do; she preferred twisting the truth. However, in the end she stayed silent.

"Don't worry," grinned Inava. "I won't tell anyone. If you ask me, Ahrind deserved something like that."

"I know. That's why we did it." Inava didn't have to know that _we_ included someone other than Yilara and Lorlen too. No one was to know that. As the voice often said, the magicians would have to work it out for themselves. That was the only reason the voice encouraged them to play those tricks - sooner or later, someone would work out what was going on.

The only questions were who, and when. Yilara didn't expect it to be quick. The Guild had forgotten so much it used to know, and it would be a long time before they thought to find out again.

Smiling, she turned the conversation to other matters. In the meantime, she could have fun watching the rest of the Guild stare.


End file.
